Special Education

Special education teachers, support staff, consultants, speech and psychology staff, and the administration, are dedicated and committed to increasing achievement and well-being of our exceptional students. They ensure our students try and reach their potential and achieve their dreams. Special Education is a vocation and teachers and support staff strive to do God’s work as we support students to develop into self-directed, responsible, lifelong learners who demonstrates a confident and positive sense of self and respect for the dignity and welfare of others.

The department successfully facilitates students meeting I.E.P. goals, completing identified and measurable performance tasks and making major gains in provincial, school, and board-wide assessments. The Board makes it possible for students to access technology to assist in learning and for the necessary accommodations required for completing assessments.

Together we are striving to “raise the bar” so that students achieve higher standards and student specific goals and “close the gap” between student potential and their performance. Monitoring student improvement is critical. Results indicate that gaps in learning are closing.

The responsibility for inclusive education is shared between classroom teachers, special education teachers and support staff, who collaborate to plan and deliver programs that motivate and engage students in learning.

Special Education Staff

Kayla Kempt
Special Education Curriculum Chair, ESL and Library - ext. 230
Laura Krentz
Special Education Resource Teacher (SERT)

Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)

After an Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) identifies a student as exceptional, an individual Education Education Plan (IEP) is developed and maintained for that student. An IEP may also be prepared for students who are receiving Special Education programs and services but who have not been formally identified as exceptional by IPRC.
IPRC meetings are held once a year to review Identification and Placement. The meeting is approximately 5-10 minutes in length.
Parents can waive this meeting if there is no change to identification and/or placement from the previous year.

Individual Education Plans (IEPs)

The IEP is based on the thorough analysis of the student's strengths, needs, and interests. Students Individual Education Plan (I.E.P.) will indicate the manner by which the school will fulfill and support the needs of each exceptional student. An exceptional student is one whose behavioral, communication, intellectual, physical or multiple exceptionality is such that the student may benefit from placement in a Special Education Program.
Students Individual Education Plan (I.E.P.) will indicate the manner by which the school will fulfill and support the needs of each exceptional student. An exceptional student is one whose behavioral, communication, intellectual, physical or multiple exceptionality is such that the student may benefit from placement in a Special Education Program.
Developed and mailed home in the Fall and with each change thereafter.
Please do not hesitate to contact Kayla Kempt to arrange an appointment to review the IEP during the course of the academic school year.

Students who have an IEP or an IPRC designation generally receive the following support:

Accommodation
The process of changing, for the individual students, the way the curriculum is delivered to them in the ways that are appropriate to their identified learning needs. These may be in the form of individualized teaching and assessment strategies, human supports, and/or individualized equipment. Accommodations allow the student to participate in learning without any changes to the knowledge and skills the student is expected to demonstrate.

Modification
Modifications are changes made in the age-appropriate grade-level expectations for a subject or course in order to meet a student's learning needs. Such changes may reflect a decrease in the number or complexity of expectations.

Special Education Resource Room

Students who have an IEP have access to the Resource Room.
During the school day, students can access the resource room to write tests, and complete assignments and get assistance with daily classwork with the support of a Special Education Resource Teacher (SERT).
Students who have an IEP can have up to double time to complete assignments and tests.

Life Skills and Learning for Living Program

Students work on valuable life skills such as cooking, shopping, functional literacy and numeracy skills, social skills development, etc.
Students will receive a Certificate of Accomplishment upon leaving the school.
Please speak to Kayla Kempt, Head of Special Education Department regarding this excellent program, as it is suited for students who have specific learning circumstances/profiles.

Resource Room

Students use this period to receive support with gaining valuable organization skills and to develop learning strategies for success.
Students can use some of the class time to work on homework or course work.

After School Supports

Educational Assistants support students after school until 3:00 pm with homework and coursework.

Learning and Life Skills Program

This non-credit program is designed to enrich and develop the skills of students identified through
an Identification Placement Review Committee (I.P.R.C.) process. The Learning and Life Skills Program offers a variety of academic and life skill components. Individualized outcomes establish the basis of programming for the students within the class. The goals of the program are to offer meaningful experiences and facilitate specific skill development, to recognize individual needs and abilities and to provide avenues of opportunity for all to live and work as valued members of our community.

Student Evaluation

Students are evaluated based on the individual expectations outlined in the student’s I.E.P.

Course Selections

The Learning and Life Skills program provides the opportunity, where the school is able, for students and families to pursue skill development that is relevant and interesting to the individual. All students take the following four subjects: Numeracy and Money Management, Language Development, Health and Fitness and Work/Community/Transit Explorations. They have the opportunity to express interest in a variety of other courses through an online course selection process.

KHD

Social Skills Development:
This non-credit course will support students in forming positive relationships and a healthy self-image. They will develop problem solving skills that can be used in a variety of social situations. Using evidence-based programs, students will also develop skills to manage stress, and become ready to learn.

KEN

Language and Communication Development:

This non-credit course will help students develop functional language skills. Language development is a focus in all activities within this class. Students will read and write for a variety of purposes, as well as develop skills in expressive and receptive communication; this will include developing sight word vocabularies and using assistive technology/communication systems.

KBB

Money Management and Personal Banking:

The focus on this non-credit course is on developing functional numeracy skills that are necessary for daily living. This can include number sense and numeration, measurement, money management, budgeting, personal banking and using a calculator.

KTT

Computer Skills:

This course helps students develop independent technology skills, such as keyboarding, using a tablet or iPad, and various accessories such as a mouse. Students will also access resources for accessibility, such as Google Read and Write, while they develop proficiency in appropriate software platforms.

KAL

Creative Arts for Enjoyment and Expression:

Students will explore, develop and curate their skills in different artistic forms and media in this non-credit course by creating their own artwork and exploring the artwork created by others. The focus in this course is on process and personal expression.

KCC

Transit Training and Community Exploration:

In this non-credit course, students will develop an understanding of their local community. They will learn about various services, businesses and public spaces, as well as how to access them. Students will learn common traffic signs, traffic symbols, warning signs and safety signs, as well as how to apply this knowledge in the community.

KCW

Exploring our World:

Students recognize that communities consist of various physical features, facilities and institutions that meet human needs. They explore how community members interact and work together. Students explore the relationship between their own community, and larger local, regional, national and global communities.

KGL

Personal Life Skills:

This course explores the necessary general skills and knowledge for daily living, including social communication, vocational skills and daily living skills that will support maximum independence. The IEP is foundational to this course, and may include elements from Self-Help Skills, Personal Management, Problem Solving, Interpersonal Relationships, Vocational Skills and Social Communication.

KGW

Exploring the World of Work:

The focus of this course is the development of pre-vocational and vocational skills to develop readiness for employment. This may include, job searching skills; workplace etiquette; and documentation for work (application forms, schedules, taxes etc.). To maximize independence, the IEP defines the course for each student, potentially including components such as: Job Searching Skills, Specific Workplace Skills, Work Etiquette, Documentation and Cooperative Education.

KHI

Culinary Skills:

Food preparation skills, such as sanitation, food safety and eating etiquette are a focus of this course. Students learn about food labels, meal-planning and preparation, as well as reading recipes to support independence in the kitchen. The course is individualized through IEP, incorporating personal goals in relation to Healthy Food Habits, Meal Planning, Safe Food Handling and Safe Use of Utensils and Equipment.

KPF

Personal Health & Fitness:

Being physically active and participating in movement activities for personal fitness are important in life. Students develop skills consistent with their I.E.P. goals, such as movement skills for coordination (gross motor) or the development of small muscles and fine motor skills. The following program areas may be considered for the I.E.P.: Pre-ambulatory Skills, Basic Movement Skills, Gross Motor Skills, Wheelchair Training and/or Fitness Skills.

KPH

Choice Making for Healthy Living (Health Relationships):

This course incorporates many evidence-based programs for skill development, including the Babysitter’s course and The 4th R. The focus is on developing the skills necessary to build and sustain healthy relationships with family, peers and community members in the appropriate context throughout life. This includes making healthy and positive choices for physical, social and emotional well-being.

KPP

Self-Help and Self-Care (Hairstyling):

Students will explore personal living skills for independence, including personal hygiene, grooming, dressing, shopping and personal care. This includes a focus area of hairstyling.

KSN

Exploring the Environment:

The environment impacts everyone’s lives, and how our needs are met. Students will develop an understanding of their interaction with the environment by connecting with the following program areas: Caring for the Environment; Understanding the Weather; and Reducing our Waste (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).

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